Fastening rails to metal sleepers



INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 15, 1885.

J. GONLEY.

FASTENING RAILS T0 METAL SLEEPERS. No. 332,384.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN CONLEY, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

FASTENING RAILS TO METAL SLEEPERS.

fi C FICATIo forming part of Letters Patent No. 332,384, dated December15, 1885.

Application filed January 14, 1385. Renewed October 3, 1885. Serial No.178,953. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN CONLEY, of the city of Grand Rapids, in thecounty of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Fastening Rails to Metal Sleepers, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to that class of fastenings in which the rail issecured by lugs or books which engage with the flanges of the rail andclamp it to the sleeper. Heretofore the rails, or the lugs on one orboth sides of the rail, have been secured by means of bolts or rivets.Bolts are objectionable, because of their expense, and also because thenuts are liable to become loosened by passing trains. Bolts are alsoliable to become corroded, so as to be unfit for use, and are alsotroublesome to remove and replace. Rivets are still more difiicult toremove and replace, and both are liable to break if drawn tight; also,one bolt or rivet will not secure the ends of both rails where jointsoccur.

. The object of my invention is to provide a cheap and strong fasteningthat can easily be removed and replaced, and that'will not be quicklyinjured by corrosion or loosened by the concussion of passing trains;also, to provide a broad fastening capable of securing the ends of bothadjacent rails where joints occur.

The invention relates to that class of devices which consist in securingthe rail to the sleeper by means of a clamp of suitable form, which issecured in place by the earth under the sleeper, or by slightly bendingit with a hammer, or removed by the latter means, as will more fullyappear in what follows.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters indicate likeparts, Figure l is a section on the line 00 a: of Fig. 2; Fig. 2, a planof a device embodying'my invention, and Fig. 3 the hook or fastening indetail.

A represents the ordinary T- rail; B, a metal sleeper, consisting of apiece of ordinary channel-iron provided with two suitable hooks or lugs,O O, at suitable points, to secure the said rails on their outer sides;also having openings E E opposite the lugs G O, and nicks in the ends toreceive the hook, shown in Fig. 3, which consists of a bar, G, ofsuitable dimensions, bent in hook form at one end, as shown, said bendof such dimensions as to firmly clamp the rail A to the sleeper B whenall are placed in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The said bar isbent at right angles near the other end, as shown at F, the distancebetween E and F being equal to the distance from the opening E to theend of the sleeper B.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The sleeper B being underthe rails A A, the outer flanges of which are crowded firmly under thelugs O O, the hook, Fig. 3, is then placed in the position shown inFigs. 1 and 2 by passing it under the end of the sleeper B and insertingthe end D in the opening E and drawing it outward as far as possible,then raising the outer end of the bar G until it is in contact with theunder side of the sleeper B. Earth is then filled in under said sleeper,which will hold the hook in place. As further security, the end F can bebent inward, as shown by the dotted lines. This bending will alsotighten the hook should it be too loose. At any time the hook can beremoved by removing the earth from under the end of the sleeper B andstriking on the end of the upright part F. The nicks in the end of thesleeper serve to keep the hook in line with the sleeper, and also enableme to use shorter hooks. The distance from the angle at F to the hook Dbeing less than from the end of the bar at F, the upright part at Fserves as an inclined plane to force the hook D upon the inner flange ofthe rail A. By placing the center of a sleeper directly under a joint inthe rails the fastenings, being broad and directly opposite each other,will be found suitable for securing the ends of both adjacent railssimultaneously.

I am aware that rails are secured to metal sleepers by means of lugs andhooks. I do not claim these, broadly.

\Vhat I claim, and wish to secure, is

1. The bar G, having the hook D and bend F, when used to secure rails tometal sleepers.

2. The bar G, having the hook D and bend F, in combination with the railA and the sleeper B, having the lug 0.

JOHN GONLEY.

WVitnesses:

H. A. HYDORN, E. H. MANLEY.

